Combined license-tag mounting and signal and tail light



Dec." 2, 1930.. E7 SHELTON COMBINED LICENSE .TAG MOUNTING AND SIGNAL AND TAIL LIGHT Filed Jan. 24, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l hem . 2, 1930. EL. SHELTON COMBINED LICENSE TAG MOUNTING AND SIGNAL AND TAIL LIGHT Filed Jan. 24, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 of the reflector.

Patented Dec. 2, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBINED LICENSE-TAG MOUNTING AND. SIGNAL m TAIL LIGHT Application filed January 84, 1989. Serial Io. 884,787.

"This invention-relates to a combined license tag mounting and signal and tail 0 the provision of a device of this character which will support a license tag in such" manner that it is fully illuminated, particularly when a tag of the type illustrated in my prior Patent, No. 1,694,832 is employed in connection therewith.

A further object of the invention is to provide a signal casing which may be very readily and cheaply constructed and in whic a combined .partition and illuminating element support is so mounted that access may be readily had thereto in order to change the illuminatingv elements or to effect any neces- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a combined signal and license plate support constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a rear elevation thereof; Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1; a

Figure 4 is a section through the front and side wall sections of the casing removed; Figure 5' is a' front elevation of the rear wall and the bracket with the front and side wall sections removed; 1 I Figure, 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of 4 Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a detail sectional view illustrating the. mannerin which .the reflector acts to hold the lenses in position; v

. Figure 8 is afragmentary edge elevation Referrin now more. particularly to the lirawings, t e numeral 10 indicates a plate aving secured thereto a rearwardly and downwardly inclining arm or support 11 which is adapted at its lower end to engage light, and has for an important object thereagainst a fender 12 rearwardly of the longitudinal" crown thereof and support the plate from the fender in a vertical position. This plate will preferably have stamped thereon a State name and identification number, as indicated at 14, and is provided with slots 15 for the passage of securing elements, by means of which the license plate 16 is attached. At its upper end, the plate is provided with a reduced vertical extension 17,the marginal edges of which, together with'the shoulders 18 formed at opposite sides of the extension upon the upper end of the plate, are flanged, as indicated at 19, so as to stiffen the plate and enable the extension to be offset forwardly, as indi cated at 20.

These marginal flanges further serve as a I hood, preventing the entrance of water, snow and the like between the upper edge of the license plate and the attachin plate 10 and thus prevent corrosion thereof.

' The upper end of the extension is arcuately curved and seated against this extension is a cylindrical casin 21,- the front wall 22 of which is provide with a lower lens opening 23 and upper lens openings 24 and 25 separated from one another by vertical and horizontal partition strips 26 and 27. The extension has similar lens openin and 25a separated by similar partition strips 26a and 27m Associated with the openings of the wall 22 is a lens 28, whileassociated with the wall of the extension is a lens 280 which will hereinafter be more fully described.

The circular wall of the casing 21 has formed therein at its lower end a 1011' 'tudinally extending slot 29 within which 1s disposed a lens 30 having at its ends andsides anges-31 seating upon the inner face of this wall. These flanges are retained in position by clamps 32, each of which engages the lens with one-end and has its opposite end in slightly spaced relation to the 'inner faceof the wall.

Disposed within and a inst the inner face of the wall and between t e outer ends of the clamps is a reflector band 33 which has its ends engaged between the outer ends of theprovided with legs attaching it removable.

clamps and the outer wall and which has at its side edges flanges 34 adapted to seat against the inner faces of the lenses 28, 28a to hold them against their respective walls.

The flange opposing the lens 280 is notched, as at 35, in alignment with the vertical partition, for a purpose presently to appear.

A combined reflector and illumlnatin element support is provided comprising a orizontal plate 36 shaped to conform to the partitions 27, 27a and having a central vertical wall arisin therefrom, as indicated at 37, and adapt to oppose the partitions 26, 26a of the front and rear walls of the signal casing. The upper end of this vertical wall has a ange 38 a opted to abut the inner face of the reflector late and fit thereagainst to steady this wall and retain the reflector plate against any tendency to sag, thus enabling its reduction from relatively thin material. he horizontal plate 36 has at its 0 posite ends apertured cars 39 the apertures 0 which align with openings iormed in the opposite ends of the partitions 27, 27a and the corresponding lenses. The apertures of these ears are threaded for the reception of the securing elements, which are designated at 40, so that these securing elements serve to secure the sections of the casing to one another and to the partition and to hold the lenses against movement. This plate is .further referably directly to the wall of the extension, as indicated at 41. This plate, it will be noted, divides the interior of the easing into a main lower compartment 42 and upper compartments 43 and 44. The horizontal plate carries sockets for illuminating elements for each' of these compartments and these sockets have associated therewith contact elements 45 electrically connected to a multiple connection lug 46 mounted in a socket formed about t e edges of an opening in the circular wall of the casing 21 and from which the plug is readily The reflector 33 in ali out with this 0 ning has an opening t rough which the p ug'may pass,

The portions of the lenses 28 and 28a opposing the compartment 23 are preferably red and green respectively, those opposing the compartment 48 red and those opposing the compartment 44 amber or white. The compartments 43 and 44 may constitute si al compartments and may be operated 52m any suitable signal switches, while the com= pertinent 42 constitutes a tail light compartment;

It will be obvious that-a structure of this character maybe very readily and cheaply produced and is very readily repaired. If the surface of the reflector band becomes dirty, it may be readily cleaned or replaced by simply removing t e securing elements 40 whic secure the casing 21 to the partition and illuminating support. This permits the weenie reflector and this casing wall to. be bodily removed when the reflector may be readily slid out of the casing by movement axial to the casing and cleaned or replaced. A similar operation aifords access to the illuminating elements for replacement or repair and also permits replacement of the front lens of the si al light. The rear lens orthat lens carried y the Wall 17 may be removed by removing the bracket from the extension 17.

Since the construction hereinbefore set forth is capable of a certain ran e of change and modification without materiall departing from the s irit of the invention, I. do not limit myseli to such s ecific structure except as hereinafter claime I claim In a signal light construction, a cylindrical casing having the opposite ends thereof open, an annular reflector mounted in the casing and engaging the inner walls thereof, a license plate bracket, said license plate bracket having an upstanding flanged ring mounted thereon, the forward end of said casing seating in said casing, said casing having an opening through the bottom wall thereof, a lens removably mounted in said opening, a downwardly inclined arcuate member having reverted end portions mounted in said casing and above said wall opening, said member having outwardly extending ears for engagement with said bracket whereby to hold the casing thereon, a substantially vertically disposed arcuately inclined reflector secured at one end to said first arcuate member and at the opposite end enga 'ng said annular reflector, said first mem er and second member dividing said easing into light compartments, lamps mounted in each compartment, lenses mounted in the casing and at the opposite end portions of each compartment, and removable means for holding thedenses against the opposite end portions of the casing.

In testimony whereof Ihereunto aflix my signature.

EDWARD LACY SHELTON. 

